In Lviv, a procedure has been approved for horse rides and other recreational activities involving horses to support the mental health of service personnel, veterans and their family members who are undergoing treatment or rehabilitation in medical facilities of the Lviv City Territorial Community. The relevant decision was adopted by the executive committee of the Lviv City Council.
Equine therapy and rides will be organised within the framework of the municipal socio-cultural recovery programme “The City Heals”. The Tourism Office of the Economic Development Department of the Lviv City Council is responsible for coordinating the activities. The document sets out uniform requirements for organisers, routes, conditions for keeping horses, participant safety and animal protection.
Under the new rules, horse rides and equine therapy are intended for service personnel, veterans and their families who are undergoing treatment or rehabilitation in healthcare facilities of the Lviv community. Organisers must obtain a special pass valid for one year. A basic route for horse-drawn carriages has been defined: Lystopadovoho Chynu St — Universytetska St — Sichovykh Striltsiv St — Lystopadovoho Chynu St. The designated location for parking, boarding and disembarking passengers is 6 Lystopadovoho Chynu St.
The operation of horse-drawn carriages is permitted only at weekends and on public holidays from 10:00 to 22:00, and a single horse may work for no more than 8 hours per day. The use of horses is prohibited during air-raid alerts, in adverse weather conditions, and when the air temperature exceeds +28°C or drops below –15°C.
Only clinically healthy, microchipped horses aged from 5 to 20 years, which undergo a veterinary examination at least once every six months, may be used. It is forbidden to involve animals showing signs of emaciation, injury or illness. Carriages must be in good technical condition, equipped with reflective elements and a system for collecting horse manure, and must match the historical appearance of the city centre. Horse owners are obliged to ensure proper conditions for keeping the animals, regular rest, constant access to water and insurance.
First Deputy Mayor of Lviv Andriy Moskalenko stressed that the city has, for the first time, clearly regulated this activity by defining routes, working conditions for horses, temperature limits and other standards designed to guarantee participant safety and humane treatment of animals. He emphasised that these are specifically rehabilitation activities rather than commercial services, and reported that the issuing of passes for organisers is expected to begin in the near future.
To obtain a pass for using horses within the framework of equine therapy, organisers must apply to the Tourism Office of the Lviv City Council, as well as to the Department of Urban Mobility and Street Infrastructure to arrange the necessary permits and approvals.
Patients of the Unbroken centre are already taking part in equine therapy, including veterans undergoing rehabilitation after injuries and captivity. They note that working with horses helps restore concentration, attention and self-confidence, and eases adaptation to civilian life.
Doctors and veterinarians point out that regular physical activity is important not only for people but also for the horses themselves: it helps maintain optimal weight, supports normal cardiovascular and respiratory function, strengthens the musculoskeletal system and has a positive effect on the animals’ psychological state. According to the city, all horses intended to be involved in the rides are clinically healthy and undergo regular veterinary examinations.
Head of the Lviv Regional Veterinary Hospital of Veterinary Medicine Orest Kruk noted that the horses of the Carriage Yard are entered in the Unified State Register of Animals, are regularly vaccinated and undergo the necessary examinations, and that their physical condition allows them to work safely with carriages.
In a separate clause, the executive committee clarified the scope of the previous ban on the use of horses in the central part of Lviv. From now on, it does not apply to horse rides and other recreational activities aimed at supporting the mental health of service personnel, veterans and their family members who are undergoing treatment or rehabilitation.
Video about the introduction of equine therapy in Lviv: https://www.youtube.com/embed/R5JcNvR-Ii8?feature=oembed